I'm thinking of Roundup-ing the weeds now (which won't take long because even the weeds are scarce at this point), then renting a slit seeder in September and re-seeding. I'd like to use a high percentage of white clover. I know some people hate clover, but I love it - requires little care, stays green when the grass goes brown, and I'm a beekeeper and I know the bees love it too. Anyway, I have a few questions about this plan.

1) I've never used a slit seeder before. Are they easy to use, and do they produce good results? Any important tips?

2) Do certain grass species cohabitate better with clover than others? I don't need it to look like a manicured golf course... I just want about a 50/50 clover/grass mix that requires little care and can withstand future droughts that we may have.

Thanks!
-Diggity

That can be a sign of poor soil. Save yourself some headache and time and get a soil test. Logan Labs in ohio does a comprehensive test for $20--well worth the money. You can post the results here and someone can advise you if you need to amend your soil to help produce a healthy lawn with clover.

A true slitseeder has fixed blades, a separate set of discs, and metered tubes for dispencing seed. They are self propelled. They are expensive machines and very seldom available for rental--I've never seen one for rent in my area. An alternative, and what many rental places call a slit seeder is actually a verticutter with a drop spreader attatched (Ryan Renothin, Billygoat and Bluebird are common rental models). It has fixed blades to produce slits (vs flail blades that are used in dethatchers). They are commonly available for rent. They are almost never self propelled, but some newer models are. I've used the Renothin and Billygoat with very good germination results--much better than when I've just broadcast, rolled and topdressed, but rather than use the drop spreader, I broadcast the seed separately over the yard and then ran the machine over it in two passes at a 45 degree angle to one another. Easy? Over a flat, loamy soil, yes. If the soil is hard or the yard is on hills, it takes some work, like alternating between pushing a 200# non propelled lawnmower and trying to hold back a tiller on hard soil.

dchall, I've never planted bentgrass before, but it sounds like a good option with the clover. Is it invasive? In other words, do I have to worry about it creeping into the flower beds?

Thanks!
-Diggity